Laura Marling unveils new single 'Held Down', sets early release date for her album 'Song For Our Daughter'
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many artists are postponing the release of their new albums, but Laura Marling sees it as a fitting time to share some new music. The British folk singer-songwriter had previously scheduled the release of her seventh studio album, 'Song For Our Daughter', towards the end of summer, but as many surprised fans would like to hear, it is due out this Friday, April 10.
The news comes with the release of a new single 'Held Down'. The breezy folk rock tune opens with a strongly-strummed acoustic guitar riff before kicking off with a steady rock beat and light electric guitars while Marling's vocals get layer upon layer of harmony as the song builds. The new song gets a tad pop flair to it and reveals as an interesting early taste to 'Song For Our Daughter'. Listen to it below.
In a press release shared by Stereogum, Marling spoke about the upcoming album and the early release, saying, "In light of the change to all our circumstances, I saw no reason to hold back on something that, at the very least, might entertain, and at its best, provide some sense of union".
She says, "It’s strange to watch the facade of our daily lives dissolve away, leaving only the essentials; those we love and our worry for them. An album, stripped of everything that modernity and ownership does to it, is essentially a piece of me, and I’d like for you to have it. I’d like for you, perhaps, to hear a strange story about the fragmentary, nonsensical experience of trauma and an enduring quest to understand what it is to be a woman in this society".
"When I listen back to it now, it makes more sense to me then when I wrote it. My writing, as ever, was months, years, in front of my conscious mind. It was there all along, guiding me gently through the chaos of living. And that, in itself, describes the sentiment of the album — how would I guide my daughter, arm her and prepare her for life and all of its nuance? I’m older now, old enough to have a daughter of my own, and I feel acutely the responsibility to defend The Girl. The Girl that might be lost, torn from innocence prematurely or unwittingly fragmented by forces that dominate society. I want to stand behind her and whisper in her ear all the confidences and affirmations I had found so difficult to provide myself," she adds.
Marling concluded by describing the album as "that strange whisper; a little distorted, a little out of sequence, such is life" and said, "I want you to have it".
Fans are eager to hear the news of the new album and song release. On Twitter, one fan declared, "I am LOSING MY MIND!!!! Laura Marling is my favourite lyricist. I’m so happy to have something to look forward to (sic)" while another said "Laura Marling surprise-releasing her best album this Friday is a good way to start the week". One fan said, "Broke: delaying your album release until people can go out and buy it. Woke: Laura Marling releasing her album early, with 5 days notice, because she knows we desperately need her soft soulful folk in these dark uncertain times". Another fan says, "A new Laura Marling album on Friday. Maybe the world isn’t so bad".